Machine for making can-bodies.



P. KRUSE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CAN BODIES.

APPLIQATION FILED AUG. 7, 1911.

Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Q INVENTOR WITNESSES:

P. K'RUSE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING on: BODIES.

APPLICATION FILED mm, 1911.

Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N I I g I E I g l I II' fur-1 9!? \H gs e i' ifi R @{I'j Q INVENTOR IiiWITNESSES: l J V@ n 5 By Attorneys,

Q amamm'awpk J P. KRUSB.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CAN BODIES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7. 1911.

1 ,O46,088, Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

IIIII/I/ INVE NTOR akr m,

WITNESSES:

M own. QM 4 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER KRUSE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO E. W. BLISS COMPANY, OFBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CAN-BODIES.

To all whom it'may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER KRUsE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinesfor Making Can-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides a machine for making lap-seam can bodies.

It comprises means for wrapplng a sheet or blank around a former horn,for hold ng it in position against such horn whlle being soldered, andfor subsequently releasing and ejecting the can body. In the preferredconstruction of the machine, the formers are carried by the links of anendless chain with their horns projecting rearwardly, and feeding meansare provided for pushlng the body blanks forward into position beneaththe horns, whereupon hinged folding wings or jaws are displaced to wrapthe blank around the horn. One of these folder jaws moves in advance ofthe other, so that the inside lap of the seam shall be forced againstthe horn sufficiently in advance of the outside lap to prevent theircolliding. The inside lap folder preferably moves away after the blankhas been securely clamped by the outside lap folder, in order to affordample space for the operation of the soldering device.

The accompanying drawings show a machine constituting the preferredembodiment of my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan of the machine on a small scale; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation there- -of; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view on a largerscale, being partly in longitudinal section and showing principally thefeeding means; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section cut in theplane of the line l -4t in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary verticaltransverse section in the plane of the line 5-5 in Fig. 3 showing'one ofthe formers with its folders open; Fig. 6 is a vertical transversesection in the plane of the line 6-6 in Fig. 3' showing one of theformers with its folders closed against the horn and the blank wrappedaround the latter; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectionshowing the former with one of its folders dropped, this being theposition during and after the soldering operation; Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed-August 7, 1911.

Patented Dec. 3,1912.

Serial No. 642,886.

Referring to the drawings, the machine comprises any suitable framing Afor supporting the moving parts. This frame provides bearings for twosprocket shafts B B which carry sprocket wheels C C, by which is carriedan endless chain D on which are carried the successive formers E E. Thechain D is constructed of alternate links a and b. The links a aconstitute slides, being formed with lateral flanges a which move inslideways c'formed in somesuitable part of the main frame A, or in somespecial frame supported by the main frame as desired; the slideways aare extended substantially the length of the main frame so as to engagethe slide links a while the latter are executing their working travelalong the upper part of the machine. Similar slideways may be providedfor engaging them during the return movement of the chain beneath themachine, but it is sufficient to provide supports 0 over which they mayslide and which will serve to prevent undue sagging of the chain. Thelinks 6 b are or may be simple connecting bars united by pins or pintlesto the links a a.

Each of the formers E comprises a form ing horn or mandrel F, and twohinged folding jaws or wings G G which I will call folders. Each link acarries one of the formers. To this end each link is formed with a rigidprojection 03 to which the horn F is integrally connected or rigidlyattached. The swinging jaws or folders G G are pivoted to the pro ection03 by means of a hinge pin 6.. Between the upper part of the projectiond and the horn F is left a gap or narrow space f (Fig. 5) into which thebody blank'm is to be pushed by the feeding mechanism to the positionshown in Fig. 5. Spring-pressed pins or buttons 9 are provided 'for'frictionally gripping the blank when in this position to prevent, itsaccidental displacement.

The horn F for a cylindrical can is made cylindrical with its exteriorof the exact size of the interior of the can body to be formed. For acan of ova-l form or otherwise varied from the cylindrical", thev'h'ornwill. be correspondingly changed in exterior so as to fit closely to theexterior of the can body. For round earns the same horn F and folders GG may be used for slightly different sizes of can bodies, by making thehorn adjustable in size in any well known manner, as for example byconstructing it with removable sides or cheek pieces k h (Fig. 5) andproviding filling pieces or plates 2' 71 between these cheek pieces andthe middle member of the horn (this middle member being preferablyfastened fixedly to the projection (Z), so that by substituting thickeror thinner filling pieces 1' 11 the horn may be enlarged or diminishedin size. An end clamp j is provided for holding the cheeks and fillingpieces in place. Any other means may be substituted for adjusting thesize of the horn, the one shown be- 4 ing a well known expedient.

The folders G G are freely hinged to the projection 03 as. stated, andmay swing from the fully open position shown in Fig. 5

-to the fully closed position shown in Fig.

6.. In so swinging they fold the blank 90 around the horn and clampitinto tight contact therewith. To impart to them these swingingmovements, cam faces are revided constructed preferably as inclinedplanes H and H (Fig. 3) which act upon bosses 70 is formed on therespective folders.

As the folder G for the inner lap of the seam must act in advance of thefolder G for the outer lap, the cam incline H which operates the folderG is' given a quicker pltch than the incline H for the folder G, asclearly shown in Fig. 3. 1 In order toimpart to the folders a desirabledegree of yielding movement, each is provided with a spring pressedplunger 1 passing through the boss is, and which as the folderapproaches its closed position comes into bearing upon the incline H orH. The proportions are such that the folders close the blank firmlyagainst the horn shortly before the plunger Z assesonto the top of thecam inclines, s0 t at in completing the lift imparted by the cams theseplungers are pressed in against their springs, whereby the folders areheld closed with a yielding pressure determined by the resilience of thesprings. This construction allows for variations in the thickness of thesheet metal blanks, and also compensates for wear or for any slightinequalities or imperfections. The lost moti'on thus provided alsoenables a certain degree of adjustment to be made in the size of thehorn, without necessitating an alteration in the folders, so thatslightly different sizes of cans can be made by merely changing the sizeof the horn in the manner described.

The soldering mechanism is shown at J. No novelty is claimed for thismechanism, and any known or suitable construction of soldering devicemay be provided. The

one shown consistsof an elongated receptacle through which project acontinuous series of soldering irons m m. The soldering irons are heatedto the required degree by gas jets from burners p p fed with gas from apipe 9 under the control of suitable cocks. The receptacle serves toinclose thefiames from the burners. Any other method of heating may beprovided however. The solder may be applied to the blanks either beforeor after folding around the horn and accordingto any of the well knownmethods, that is to say, by the use of solder wire, or by flowing solderinto the seam from a tank of molten solder, or in any other way.

Inasmuch as most soldering means require more space to work upon than isafforded between the folders G G when closed as shown in Fig. 6, it isdesirable to afford the additional room by dropping one of the folderswhile keeping the other pressed into position to clamp the seam fast andhold it in position durin soldering and long enough thereafter to ena lethe solder to set. For this purpose it is the inner lap folder whichmust'be dropped so that the outer lap folder G may hold the seam. Thisposition is shown in Fig. 7, the folder G having been dropped down andthe folder G belng held closed to clamp the blank which now forms thecan body y. Thus is afforded ample room for the soldering device to actupon the seam. For thus dropping the folder G its cam rail H instead ofbeing continued level like' the rail H, is caused to descend upon anincline H shown in Fig. 2, and indicatedalso in Fig. 8.

An important detail resides 1n the provision of the folders G G withelastic or yielding terminal or edge'portions where the-y engage theseam. These portions are formed each as a plate 1' having slottedengagement with fastening screws r. (or

other fastening means whereby the plate may move outward or inwardrelatively to the folder). Each plate 1' is pressed inwardlyby one ormore leaf springs 8 carried on the folder. .The required movement isvery slight, being sufficient only to provide a give or take engagementwith the seam. By means of this yielding edge portion the respectiveflaps of the seam are pressed down closely but yieldingly against thehorn, notwithstanding the presence of any slight inequalities in thesheet metal of the blank.

The means for feeding the blanks'to the formers willnow be described.

My machine is well adapted to the application of automatic feedingmeans, but is equally adapted to hand feeding. Assuming that the blanksare fed by hand, they are laid one by one upon supporting bars K, theirposition being determined by any suitable gages not shown. The blankthus fed remains motionless until engaged by infeeding pushcrs t whichin the construct on shown are carried by endless feed chains L L, whichchains are carried over sprockets L" Ifi-at-opposite ends and drivenfrom any suitable gearing. As 'it-is-impract cable for the infeedingpushers t to carry the blank forward far enough to introduce it into itsproper former, I provide an intermediate feed or carrier consistingpreferably of a second pair. of endless chamsM Mwwhi'clrare carried uponsprockets M M'- at opposite ends and driven by any suitable gearing. Apair of idler sprockets M is provided bearing upon the lower stretch ofthe chalns between the main sprockets. The function of theseintermediate sprockets is to change the direction of the chains, so thatthe portion u 1! between thesprockets M andlfl travels horizontally andin the same plane as the gap f (Fig. 5) by which the blank enters theformer. The portion 11. between M and M is inclined as shown, so that itrises above the plane of the portion u. The chains M M.

carry feeding pushers o c which engage the rear edge of the blank, andbeing caused to move faster than the pushers 27 t carry the blank beyondthe latter and move it forward at a'speed faster than that at which theformers are traveling, so that they push the blank into the gap f of theformer and continue to move it forward until it is seated completelytherein. At this instant the former has passed the sprockets M and thepushers, having begun to ascend the inclined portion u of the chains,are thereby sufliciently lifted above the plane of the blank todisengage themselves therefrom, leaving the blank held in the former asshown in Fig. 5.

The parts are so proportioned that as the main carrier chain D breaksaround the sprocket C, the ascending former E finds a clear spacethrough which to move up into position; in this movement it is guided bycurved guides N by which each link a is directed from the sprocket tothe guiding ways 0 0. During this time the blank is supported on thebars K K. As soon as the former has risen far enough so' that itscarrying link a is entering the ways 0, and shortly before it reachesthe position of the rearmost former in Fig. .3, ,,the.. rapidly.

traveling chains M push the advancing edge of the body blank .2: intothe gap The blank in this movement is slid over the barsv K K, whichuphold and guide it until it is fully seated in the former. The speed ofthe chains M is such that their pushers o 'v shove the blank into theformer gap during the forward travel of the pusher, and until, justbefore the pushers free themselves from the blank as described, theblank becomes firmly seated in the former.

The chains L L and M M are arranged in different vertical planes, asshown in Fig. 4, and are adjustable laterally, as are also the bars K K,to adapt the machine to different sizes of body blanks.

The machine is driven by a belt or other means applied to a drivingshaft P, which is shown as having a belt pulley pulley is preferablyfree on the shaft, but adapted to be coupled thereto by a clutch Q,

. of any known description which is operated by one or more controllinghandles Q, through a rock shaft Q or any other means may be provided forstarting or stopping the machine at will. The shaft P carries a pinion20 which drives a gear-wheel w on the sprocket shaft B, whereby motionis imparted to the main carrier chain D and the formers. By miter gears'22 motion is communicated from shaft P to an inclined shaft R, whichthrough miter gears 1: drives the transverse shaft R carrying the srocket wheels M From this shaft motion is communicated through thechains M M to the sprocket wheels M which are carried on separate shaftsS S so as to leave a clear space between the sprockets. These shafts areprovided with spur gears 10 which mesh with larger gears w on shafts Swhich carry the sprockets L by which the chains L are driven. The ratioof gearing is such as to drive the chains M faster thanv the chains Dand L for the purpose described.

Itis desirable to curl or bend the end portions of the body blank, beingthe portions destined to come at and adjacent to the seam. A suitablebending means consists of pairs of rollers between which the blank isfed, and which seize the ends thereof and bend them in order to round orcurl their edge portions. These rollers are best seen in Fig. 4, andcomprise a convex-faced upper roll T and a concave-faced lower roll Therolls T T are shown as mounted on the shafts S S. The rolls T T aremounted to turn freely upon adjustable studs a fixed in the side frames.Thus the edge-curling rolls are located so as to act upon the blankwhile it is being fed toward the former. The result of this edge curlingis shown in Fig. 5, where the slightly upturned'portions 00 have beenacted upon by the respective pairs of rolls. This edge curling of theblanklgreatly.improves the'can and facili-' tates its manufacture. Therounding or curling of the edge portions may be of the same radius asthe can body, but preferably -is made with a somewhat less radius.

.It is desirable to provide means for discharging the finished eanbodies from the machine. This is best done automatically. As beforestated, the can bodies are held by the folder G for a sufficient timeafter soldering to permit the solder to set. It is then desirable toopen or turn back the folder G, thereby restoring it to the p0sia motefrom the soldering device. The cart 5 lowed out to a larger contour, sothat they 60 the blank as it is formed into the can body tion shown inFig. This releases the can body, which is then held solely by frictionupon the horn. For thus turning back the folder G the rail which engagesit is formed 5 with a, downward incline H sufficiently rebodiesmaybe"removedTtany ibsequent point by means of a suitable stripper. Thisstripper may consist of an arm or stationary pro'ection of any sortoccupying relatively to t e moving former the position indicated indotted lines at U in Fig. 8, where'its engaging end is arranged to entera groove j formed along the top of the horn (or along any otherconvenient portion of the horn, as for example in the cheek pieces h k,in which case it is convenient to apply two grooves as shown at j 9' inFig. 6). As the former moves forward its ggioveij is en f t ered by .thestripper' U,"'aT1d the latter consequently encounters the edge of thesheet metalcan body at its front or advancing end, so that the can bodyis stopped by the stripper, and the continued forward move- 5 ment ofthe former carries its horn out of the can body. Two or more strippersmay be' used if desired, and located in any suitable or convenientrelation to the horn. It is preferable to locate the stripper U in theposition shown in. Fig. 2, where it will engage the can body after thelatter has been carried by its former to the lower side of the sprocketC, so that the can body when ejected will fall free of the former andmay drop into a chute or other conveyer which will lead the finishedbodies out of the mav chine. The .stripper U in Fig. 2'is shown ivotedand with an adjusting screw wherey it may be caused to enter more or'less 40 deeply into the groove j as desired.

It is not necessary that the wing folders G G be internally shaped so asto conform closely to the exterior contour of the can body. Thesefolders may in fact be 1101- need not necessarily make contact with thecan body except where their adjustable edge portions or spring pressedplates r 1' are provided. By this means a considerable latitude foradjustment of the size and precise contour of the horn is admissible. Itwill be seen that because of the location of the axis of the pivot pin 6the spring pressed plates 1' r as they approach their final closedposition (Fig. 6) move in a direction substantially tangential to thecylindrical surface of the horn, and consequently act to stretch thesheet metal closely around the horn during their final movement,whereby.

is made to closely hug the horn, irrespective of whether the foldingwings or jaws G G make internal contact with it or not.

It must notbe inferred from the particularity with which I havedescribed all the details of the machine which contains the preferredembodiment of my invention, that the latter is limited by any means tosuch details, as in fact my inveptipnis'susceptible of a widgrange'ofunodification, and may be waried'within considerable limitsaccording ing theblank, combined with feeding means for pushing thesuccessive blanks into the gaps of the successive formers while the latter are advancing, said feeding means comprising a preliminary feed forcarrying the blanks toward the formers, and a secondary feed movingfaster than the preliminary feed and faster than the formers and adaptedto carry the blanks from the preliminary feed and push them into thegaps of successive formers during the travel thereof.

2. In a can body making machine, a succession of traveling formers eachformed with a gap opening rearwardly for receiving the blank, combinedwith feeding means for pushing the successive blanks into the gaps ofthe successive formers while the latter are advancing, said feedingmeans comprising an endless chain moving faster than the formers andhaving pushers for engaging the blanks.

3. In a can body making machine, a succession of traveling formers eachformed with a gap opening rearwardly for receiving the blank, combinedwith feeding means for pushing the successive blanks into the gaps ofthe successive formers while the latter are advancing, said feedingmeans. comprising stationary supports for the blanks, and an endlesschain for moving the blanks over said supports into the former gaps,said chain traveling faster than the formers.

4. In a can body making machine, a succession of traveling formers eachformed with a gap opening rearwardly for receiving the blank, combinedwith feeding means for pushing the successive blanks into the gaps ofthe successive forn'rers while the lat ter are advancing, said feedingmeans comprising pushers, and means for moving said pushers adapted tomove them in the plane of said gaps during the feeding-in movement, andto divert them away from said plane at the end of said movement to free.the pushers'from the blanks,

5. In a can body making machine, a succession of traveling formers eachformed with a gap opening rearwardly for receiv- 130 ing the blank,combined with feeding means i for pushing the successive blanks into thegaps of the successive formers while the latter are advancing, saidfeeding means comprising an endless chain having pushers, and means fordirecting said chain whereby its pushers move in the plane of said gapsduring the feeding-in movement, and are then inclined away from saidplane to free the pushers.

6.-In a can body making machine, traveling formers comprising each ahorn and folders for wrapping a blank around such horn, stationary camstraversed by the former for so moving said folders, and a yieldingmedium interposed between the folders and cams whereby to communicatethe cam thrust yieldingly to the folders.

7. In a can body making machine, a former comprising a horn, folders forwrapping a blank around such horn, cams for so moving said folders, andspring pressed plungers carried by said folders and engaging said camsto communicate the cam thrust yieldingly to the folders.

8. In a can body making machine, a former comprising a horn and foldersfor wrapping a blank around suchhorn, said folders pivoted beneath thehorn and engaging the blank at their outer edge portions with'a movementapproximately tangential to the horn, whereby their friction against theblanks draws it tightly around the horn and having a yielding outer edgeportion for elastically pressing the blank against its horn.

9. In a can body making machine, a former comprising a horn, and aswinging folder for wrapping a blank around said horn, said folderhaving a yielding outer edge portion for elastically pressing the blankagainst the horn.

10. In a can body making machine, a former comprising a horn, and aswinging folder for wrapping a blank around said horn, said folderhaving a movable outer edge portion and means for pressing the latteryieldingly against the horn.

11. In a can body making machine, a former comprising a horn, and aswinging folder for wrapping a blankaround said horn, said folder havingan obliquely movable plate forming its edge portion and a springreacting against the folder for pressing said plate yieldingly towardthe horn in direction to draw the edge portion of the blank tightlyagainst the horn.

12. In a can body making machine, a former comprising a horn and pivotedfolders for wrapping a blank around the horn, yielding means forcommunicating movement to said folders, and one of said folders having ayielding outer edge portion for elastically pressing the blank againstthe horn.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

' PETER- KRUSE. Witnesses:

CHAS. J. ELLSMITH, CHARLES THOMA, Jr.

